The Muppets Episode 1 - Pig Girls Don't Cry (Pilot)

[ploobis]

I don't understand why some people don't like Denise. In my opinion, I just always like seeing new characters added to the Classic Muppet gang.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't understand why some people don't like Denise.

I actually liked Denise. And the human characters. And...yeah I liked Denise and the human characters, lol.

 

[scooterfan360]

I actually liked Denise. And the human characters. And...yeah I liked Denise and the human characters, lol.

I like Denise too

 

[Ladywarrior]

I don't understand why some people don't like Denise. In my opinion, I just always like seeing new characters added to the Classic Muppet gang.

I don't hate denise it's just her look freaks me out. It's those eyes. They make her look like her parents were a pig and an alien from the planet Glorp. I think she needs to keep the glasses on, they make her look better.

 

[Bear Man]

I agree with the fans here who say the Muppets came off as mean. Particularly Kermit. And no, it has nothing to do with audience tastes changing or evolving. It's simply a case of imbalanced comedy writing. Comedy is always a mix of rudeness and wit. But if the wit is off, the characters can come off as mean.

I completely understand where you're coming from. I wonder, though, if Kermit was really all that "mean", or if it wasn't just that we've become so accustomed to the overly saccharine and almost rigidly moral attitudes many of these characters have been assigned over the last few years. Frankly, the Kermit I saw looked a little more fallible, a bit more human (well, as human as a frog can look). I can't help but wonder if that was a deliberate decision - make the characters a little more relatable and suited to the "modern condition". With the focus of the show intended as the Muppets' real lives, I think it's pretty possible that they're looking to play up the failings of these characters, and in a way that can be understood across a span of generations. Kermit's standard response to a negative situation in the past was to seem relatively unfazed until it all got too much, at which point he'd have an incredibly obvious, physical and vocal explosion. That's not the way we usually see Gen Ys and Millennials responding, so maybe the occasional snide comment is an attempt at relating to their way of managing stress. Frankly, I think it helps us see a greater range of acting skills from our Frog, and puts some additional extra layers into a program type (i.e. puppet show) that in my opinion has a very real risk of becoming just one-note.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hi Bear Man, I want you to know, I took a long time thinking before responding to this.

Kermit's standard response to a negative situation in the past was to seem relatively unfazed until it all got too much, at which point he'd have an incredibly obvious, physical and vocal explosion. That's not the way we usually see Gen Ys and Millennials responding

Well as a Millennial, I think I understand where you're coming from as well. My generation is more into the snide comment thing and I'm no exception, it's fun. Thing is, the Kermit of Muppet Show or Muppets Take Manhattan, that was always my younger self's reference for how adults reacted to the stresses of life (with some humor of course). You do your best to be the grown up but sometimes you just can't hold it in. It's an important thing to learn. So...it's kinda strange to see Kermit no longer being that example to follow.

Have you ever seen that episode of Rugrats where Tommy's father gets hit on the head and thinks he's a baby? Tommy thinks it's fun at first, having another friend to play with. But after awhile, he realizes his father will never be coming home again. "When you were my Daddy you'd make toys specially for me, and read me stories and tuck me in at night and...I miss my Daddy." That's kinda how it is with me and Kermit. I don't want him to be like me, if that makes sense.

Now, that doesn't mean I want him to be all saccharine and perfect, like some of the recent production. I definitely agree with you there. That would just be bland and boring. There must be some kind of balance that can be recaptured.

 

[Bear Man]

I definitely understand where you're coming from. I guess all I'm saying is that it actually looks like they've put a huge amount of thought into this (either that or I've put way too much thought into it and am just justifying decisions they took without much regard!). If there's anything that I disagree with you about, it's your very last sentence - "There must be some kind of balance that can be recaptured." As a typically cynical Gen Y-er, I wonder if a balance actually can be recaptured, or if it isn't a case of needing to accept some artistic evolution decisions...

 

[DARTH MUPPET]

OK, so my best friend and I finally got to see this. My friend laughed at the bit of Busen tazing Beaker. But he paused and said, "...He used to be more subtle about it."

And I think that's my review for the whole show: They used to be more subtle about it.

I was able to detect a recurring pattern in this show. They start making a joke, and the first line is actually pretty witty. But then for no apparent reason they start over explaining the joke, thus diluting the comedy. Like the AA meeting thing. If you'd just had Zoot say "Oh this is a meeting?" all disoriented, that would have been a witty, adult joke. But then they kept going, over explaining it, and it wasn't as funny as the set up.

I agree with the fans here who say the Muppets came off as mean. Particularly Kermit. And no, it has nothing to do with audience tastes changing or evolving. It's simply a case of imbalanced comedy writing. Comedy is always a mix of rudeness and wit. But if the wit is off, the characters can come off as mean.

Most of the moments I laughed at came from the long suffering human characters. The Muppets just seemed like pests, rather than endearingly insane.

I will say I genuinely felt sorry for Piggy when Kermit left her. The scene would have been perfect if it hadn't started with awkward jokes about selfies. Either take the moment seriously or don't. Balance can be achieved. The Muppets have done it many times.

I'll end this on a positive note. Janice's line about the guest band's original name was cute and actually very Muppety. As it stands, my vote goes to "so-so." Hopefully the writers will take note for the future.

but that's the thing, if you watch The Muppet Show they weren't any more subtle then this new Muppet show if you look at the video that was posted a page or two back you can see what I and other posters are talking about. and the muppet show was what, in the 1970's and it had raunchy adult humor.

 

[CensoredAlso]

the muppet show was what, in the 1970's and it had raunchy adult humor.

The Muppet Show did have adult humor and it felt very natural. The Muppets (2015)'s humor felt more labored, like they were nudging me in the ribs.

The Muppet Show they weren't any more subtle then this new Muppet show

Respectfully disagree.

 

[Muppy]

but that's the thing, if you watch The Muppet Show they weren't any more subtle then this new Muppet show if you look at the video that was posted a page or two back you can see what I and other posters are talking about. and the muppet show was what, in the 1970's and it had raunchy adult humor.

Raunchy adult humor for the 70's. Remember that what you could do and say on TV back then was a lot different than now.